For over 10 years now, Snap Studios has welcomed a host of heavyweight artists and musicians through its doors, from the likes of Liam Gallagher, FKA Twigs, Clean Bandit and Coldplay among others. Studio manager and resident engineer Marco Pasquariello has been integral to the studio's success story from the very beginning, having himself constructed a noteworthy body of work featuring Club Kuru, Paloma Faith, Craig David and Bill Fay to name just a few. Marco's diligent nature coupled with an easy-going disposition and impressive knowledge of the craft (and gear) has provided Snap with a solid foundation upon which it's built an enviable reputation as one of the top recording facilities in London. No mean feat.

Needless to say, the outbreak of Coronavirus has had a devastating effect across the industry, and the creative sector has arguably been one of the hardest hit; the ramifications of which have forced artists to perform from home, driven engineers to adapt to remote solutions and, for those businesses less fortunate - forced them to cease operating altogether. Whilst this is an undoubtedly unnerving time, one of the saving graces for many of us is the accessibility to professional recording equipment in the home environment. We sat down with Marco to discuss how he manages to translate his workload between the Pro recording environment at Snap Studios and his carefully designed home rig.

Can you explain a little about how you go about juggling studio projects between your home setup and Snap Studios? What’s considered when preparing/translating mixes for home use?

It’s usually quite a straightforward process because I work in Pro Tools on all my rigs, so really it’s just the I/O settings will need to be tweaked for the setup I’m using. If it’s something I’ve recorded at Snap then the main considerations are that the sessions leave the studio in a good shape before I take them to work anywhere else. This involves proper labelling, annotation on takes, comment-box notes for anything that might need attention as well as colour labelling of regions which I might need to refer to. The colours of the regions can be really important when building comps – especially if you’re going through lots of takes of something.

When it’s a client delivering files for me to mix, then I always ask for consolidated audio tracks at the sample rate they have been created in – all starting from zero with relative volume levels/any essential creative automation left in place – otherwise all volume and pan automation turned off and FX sends muted. If there are plugins/FX which are essential to the musical balance then I would ask for these to be bounced with the audio as well as a dry version on occasion. I’ll also request a recent monitor mix and a few references of course.

How do you approach mixing at home? Talk us through the process from preparing a session to finishing a project

It really varies from track to track, but I will usually have a good chat with the artist about what they want to achieve, and I will have heard the monitor mix already a few times and formulated a few ideas. The starting point is always to make sure everything is tidy and laid out properly. Group the instruments/parts, label them, colour them etc.
I will often lay out the main rhythmic elements first, and work down towards vocals and then down to the FX returns and master bus at the bottom of the session. I tend to use audio busses for each instrument and sometimes for each major part for certain instruments (eg. verse guitar and chorus guitar separate). I like to work this way because it allows me control over the entire bus for volume/pan and processing.
I always prefer working with audio busses rather than VCA's in Pro Tools but for sessions with less going on VCA's can be great. I’ll always colour my busses bright blue so that you can see them quickly at a glance when scrolling through the session - but anything that makes them stand out is good. They act as a brilliant placeholder in dense sessions! Similarly I will always colour vocals in the brightest pink for example so I can see them at a glance. It’s a bit of a running joke with engineers about their colour choices for instruments... we all have our own set ways!

Investing in good monitoring and getting your environment sounding right is crucial

The key is to be make your life as easy as possible from the start - putting in half an hour of admin can save you a lot of hassle down the line, plus it helps you familiarise yourself with the key elements of the track during the process.
When I’m not mixing on a console I will generally send all the audio busses for each instrument to a virtual mix bus, but sometimes I will have separate vocal and track busses - it really depends on the type of track I’m working on. Songs with densely recorded vocals for example will often benefit from having a dedicated bus.
After I have everything set-up, labelled and ready to go with all the routing in place I will start getting a balance together playing with all the key elements of the track. It really depends on the kind of music I am mixing and many examples could be given for how I approach this. Some kinds of music need to be built around the vocal and some with other elements, but often it will be built around the groove. It really depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

For something like a rock/pop/rhythmic track I will often get the drums working with the bass, and then start throwing in other rhythmic elements so that things are gelling. I’ll also start processing things and balancing individual mics of course.
At this stage, I will do some minor processing - filtering things and pulling out resonances with subtractive EQ. I generally don’t “add” anything at this point, I just try to build the balance with what I have and take out anything offending me sonically! I will do edits/tidying before I get into any kind of automation or serious processing, then I will do clip gain automation on tracks before I turn on volume automation. I find clip gain to be indispensable these days, and it speeds up the way I work so much. I do lots of level riding on the clip before things are compressed or further automation is added.
I can then begin to apply processing, sometimes crunching up the drums or bass - often with outboard or sometimes just plugins. If it’s outboard I will print it when I like it, and have it sat under the inactive original in the session. I try to leave fader automation off until I have a good general clean balance of things. This is partly because the non HD version of Pro Tools doesn’t have a trim function (even though there are ways around it). I tend to leave fader moves and mutes off until I know I have my sounds right.

If you’re used to working on a console then you might have to slightly change your approach when mixing in the box. Harmonic distortion can be your friend, but overcooking it with additive plugins can cause all kinds of nastiness and phase anomalies with cumulative undesirable distortion artefacts, so it’s worth being careful not to overload with plugins if you can help it. I prefer to work with a few choice pieces of gear to enhance my mix bus, which I will use alongside a few plugins to achieve what I want. I also have a couple of “character” pieces like spring reverbs and a few delays which I will run things to and print back into my session.

Any favourite plugins that frequently get used?

I think plugins have got so ridiculously good these days and there are some fantastic ones out there. I always used to say that my favourite plugin was Pro Tools 7 band EQ, but that’s now been replaced by the FabFilter Pro-Q3. I think it’s probably my most used plugin. It’s just incredible what you can do with it. I find it so musical and dynamic - it’s essential for me these days.
I’ve worked with UAD for a long time too, I love how they operate and think they sound fantastic. I’m a big fan of all the Kush Audio plugins, plus I love the BX Townhouse bus compressor. My mix bus will often feature a Novatron, and Townhouse.
For vocals I’m a big fan of the UAD 1176’s, but also the Kush UBK and the FabFilter Pro-C. It really depends on what I’m trying to achieve. Another plugin I love is the old Waves Renaissance Compressor, it’s light and stays out of the way, but holds things together really well.

The FabFilter ProQ3 – fast becoming an ‘industry standard’ plugin.

What sort of outboard are you operating and could you describe your setup?

Whilst it’s nothing overly elaborate, my setup contains a few choice pieces of gear that I know very well. I have built a comfortable space with a Primacoustic acoustic kit, and bought some decent solid speaker stands. It goes without saying but it’s really important to focus on getting your monitoring right before you even consider anything else. That doesn’t mean it has to be perfect, but making the mixing environment as flat as practically possible within budget and space is essential.

Dealing with early reflections is a good start, and will allow you to hear the anomalies in the room easier. Low frequency issues can be improved with speaker mounting and placement, but also not monitoring too loudly will help. There’s a few additional room-correction solutions out these days such as Sonarworks which I think can be superb.
I like to use a combination of speakers for monitoring. Most of my mixing is will be done on a pair of Neumann KH120s. They’re a small 2 way ported design which I think sound really great in the mid range. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to those speakers and know them inside-out. I also use larger ATC SCM20ASL Pro 2-ways and a pair of original Auratones, plus a consumer Bluetooth speaker. They each allow me to really focus on specific things in their own way, with the Bluetooth speaker giving me a good idea of how the track will translate in a real world scenario. I also think it’s a good idea to spend a lot of time listening to music on your mix rig. Getting to know your setup allows you to mix much more instinctively and effortlessly.

As far as outboard is concerned, I don’t use a huge amount. I have a Thermionic Culture Fat Bustard which I use for harmonic treatment of instruments and mix bus. I love the filtering and EQ on that thing, plus the attitude settings, it’s such a powerful box. I have an SSL style mix bus compressor, plus a tube limiter which I often use on vocals. FX wise I have a couple of spring reverbs and a few delays, plus a Revox A-77 1/4” tape machine which I will sometimes use for slap-back and printing stems or mixes to.

There’s nothing quite like the reel thing…

How are you finding the Neumann KH120s? We get a lot of interest in them from clients...

I’ve been using them on my mix rig at home for about 5 years or so now. I absolutely love them. I wanted a small pair of speakers which I could use as a main near-field pair, and I demo'd a few sets of monitors within my budget but the Neumann’s were clear winners for me. I’d already heard them in Snap when a few producers had brought them in for referencing so I knew what to expect, but when I put them in my room they just sounded right. I love the mid-range on them. It’s really forward and the low mids sound full and rounded. I always think the mids are like a posh NS10, but with extra smoothness. They’re an exciting speaker to listen to, even at lower volumes. They work great for most types of music, and I would say I probably spend 80% of my time working on them.

Do you find they each offer something the other doesn't?

The ATC’s are a really refined and accurate monitor. They’re really revealing in that ATC way. I find the midrange to work almost in the opposite way to the Neumanns. There’s a softness to them and they’re way more analytical. They sound a lot deeper front to back than the Neumanns do, and you can hear the tiniest of incremental changes on the ATCs - and they show up every little bit of distortion. The top end is incredibly balanced and smooth, and the low end is tight and fast. I find that the ATC’s make you work really hard because they’re so revealing, but the payoff is great when you get a balance right on them. Personally, I don’t find them very exciting or ‘vibey’ to listen to unless I push them (which I rarely ever do), but that’s what I like to use the KH120s for. That said, for classical, piano and more hi-fi listening/working they are absolutely incredible.

Auratone, Neumann KH120 and ATC SCM20A Pro Monitors

I know you use ATC SCM25A Pros at Snap - was the decision to purchase the 20s for your home setup a matter of maintaining consistency and familiarity?

We’ve been using SCM25s ever since day 1 at Snap. I think we had some of the first production run. I absolutely love those monitors, as do loads of our clients. They have a fullness and smoothness to them which is quite different from other ATC monitors. They’re accurate but also have some character to them. The low mids are full and thick sounding. They really are a joy to work on. In all honesty I wanted some 25s, I just didn’t have the space or the cash to buy any! They’re quite a large speaker and can’t be mounted vertically - which would be a problem in my setup.
I demo'd the SCM20s for a few weeks both listening and mixing, and loved what I was getting out of them. It wasn’t a case of consistency and familiarity as such because they’re so different to the 25s, but having worked on bigger ATCs I have always trusted in their designs and their quality. ATC are a really cool company. I visited the factory years ago and was amazed to see how much precision and craft goes into their speakers.

I'm guessing you'd need a fairly comprehensive Monitor Controller to match that sort of quality?

I use a Drawmer MC2.1 for my mix rig, but at the studio we use a Grace Designs M905. The Grace is one of the best you can get. We installed it as an upgrade to our Neve’s centre section. It’s a pretty spectacular piece of kit. Loads of customisable options for monitors and inputs, plus talkback and SPL metering. It sounds awesome too. I completely trust what I’m hearing back, which is obviously paramount. I had been using a small passive device for years on my mix rig but I knew it was the weak link in my setup.
I would have loved to use a Grace on my rig, but again it was out of my budget for this setup. I looked into various options but the Drawmer just seemed the best by a long shot in terms of functionality, specification and performance. It’s a really great piece of kit. Solid, and has a pretty comprehensive feature-set. Most importantly I trust that it’s not adding anything unwanted in my monitor path. There’s a couple of cool functions on it too like phase inversion, which can be used with mono to listen to the side of things. Great for checking if you’ve overcooked the width. It also has independent L/R cuts which I think are essential for when checking mono balances. I often get my vocal levels using that.

The Drawmer MC2.1 Active Monitor Controller

The Fat Bustard sat in your rack - which version is that and what are you using that on?

It’s an early version, so a MK1 I guess. I absolutely love it. I’ll often use it for shaping stems and printing them back in, and also use it to add character on my mix bus too.

There's a lot going on with that unit; all valve circuitry, harmonic distortion, width control, eq filters etc... What scenarios would you typically use some of these features?

Yeah. I use most of the features to be honest. The Attitude function is fantastic for thickening up a track. It can add glue in the same way dynamic compression can, but with harmonic distortion. The EQ is really powerful too. It works in a similar way to that of a Pultec - in that the more you add, the tighter the Q becomes. So for instance by just adding a little bit of LF gives you get a really wide Q which extends from 20Hz up to 500Hz. It’s great for adding weight or clarity to mixes. It definitely doesn’t work for everything but I use it for most music I mix that contains a lot of “real” instrumentation. The filters are also really powerful too - especially when used with the attitude and EQ.

A pretty versatile unit then! How does it sit in your signal chain?

I’m probably not getting as much out of the unit as I should be doing, because I typically only use 1 or 2 stereo inputs on the unit, and generally have it as an insert on a bus or the mix, or for printing things back through it. I’ll often run my drum tracks through it with the filters and attitude, then print that back into Pro Tools. It can really glue stuff together and tame the peaks nicely if that’s what you’re going for. The filters and EQ sound amazing on guitars too. Love that.
I tend to have it patched in as a hardware insert in Pro Tools - That way I can quickly audition what it’s doing to a sound or the mix and then choose to keep it as an insert or to print the audio back in for individual tracks. My intention was always to use it as a proper mixer and sum to it/mix with it as you would a board, but it didn’t really suit my workflow. I always say to myself I’ll set it up that way, but never get round to it... One day, probably!

You used to use Prism Orpheus converters - what made you change to the Lynx Aurora (n)?

Yeah, the Aurora (n). I love it! I had been using a Prism Orpheus for about 8 years, but upgrading my Mac meant that I needed to upgrade my converters too because the Firewire conversion was too buggy.
We have used the Prism ADA-8XRs at the studio and they sound superb. Still one of the best after 20+ years, but my Orpheus was just getting a little long in the tooth for my setup and I was recommended the new Lynx Aurora by an engineer friend.
I’ve worked with the old Lynx Aurora’s for years and made a few records with them and always thought they were decent quality, but when I tried out the Aurora (n) I was absolutely blown away. The stereo image, depth and speed grabbed me instantly.
The top end took a bit of getting used to compared to the Orpheus, but in the end it’s really paid off. Couldn’t be happier.

Lynx Aurora(n) Converters are among some of the best in their price bracket

Do you have any tips for managing (and maintaining) the balance between the creative 'vibe' and the more analytical process of mixing/engineering?

I would say I have to find the things I love about a track in order to feel connected to it and do my best work. That could be the sonic, the piece itself or ideally both. Arrangement and (where applicable) the song is so important. If that’s cracked then mixes come together very quickly and you can have a lot more fun pushing the elements in various directions. The science and process sort of becomes second nature when you’re in that zone. The whole thing then becomes a very enjoyable experience.

Finally, if money were no object, what would you love to include, change or upgrade in your home setup? Anything you're missing?

Aha. Good question. I don’t really feel like I need a great deal more than I have to be honest! I’ve managed to build a rig with decent monitoring and a few choice character bits, plus good compression for mix bus and vocals. Gear is always nice to have though of course… I would love a few more FX like a space echo and an H3000. I did have an H3000 but I sold it a while ago - silly move! I’ve always wanted a 33609, and a pair of Lang PEQ-2’s would be lovely too…

Maybe one day!

Join us for a LIVE Q&A with Marco on Friday, where we'll be taking a closer look at engineering from home, essential gear and more. Got a question? Let us know on Facebook.